Advice needed: one of my two lovebirds has died!

[barbaradj]

Hello -

I am posting for the first time here, looking for advice.

I rescued a pair of lovebirds a year and a half ago. I was told that they were approximately 4-5 years old, and had likely been together their whole lives. They were not the tamest of birds, but I don't mind. They are very sweet, and very lovable!

Unfortunately, I returned home Tuesday night to find that they had somehow gotten out of their cage - I have a three-year old who must have fiddled with the latches to one of the food doors, from what I could tell. Gus was easy to find, perched on the ceiling fan. But his mate, Mona, was no where to be found. An hour later, she emerged from wherever she'd been hiding. I was horrified to see that she'd somehow injured her left eye. It was swollen and very sore looking. She had some water and corn, though, and was flying around, so although I was worried, I was hopeful she'd be okay. It was too late to take her to the vet then, on Tuesday night, but we were able to take her first thing yesterday morning. The vet said that, other than the eye, she was in great health. Once the swelling went down in the eye, we could take her back to assess if her eyesight was affected or not. Regardless, the vet said that there was no reason she wouldn't live a long and happy life, even if her eyesight was completely gone in the one eye. We left with oral antibiotics, oral anti-inflammatories and some drops for her eye. They administered the first doses in office.

This morning, we gave her all the prescribed medications as instructed by the vet. It clearly stressed her - I felt horrible. We then put her back in the cage, into the little nesting bed she loves so much. When I checked on her a short time after, she was dead.

Clearly, I'm horribly sad about this. I'll miss her so much... I am still kind of shocked, I think, as the vet had had no concern over her recovery from this injury. I'm wondering if it was the stress of the trip to the vet or the administration of the medications that killed her? I know, though, that I did all I could. I still feel like there should have been more I could have done...

Although it's certainly too late, even if there was more I could have done for sweet Mona, I know I need to be taking care of little Gus now.

I told this story because I'm hoping that someone here will have some advice for me! What's the best thing I can do for Gus now that he's lost his mate of the past 4-5 years? Obviously, spend as much time with him as I can, socializing and giving lots of attention - unfortunately, my job doesn't allow me to spend more than a couple of hours a day with him. Is it better for me to let him live the rest of his life alone? Or is it better for me to try and introduce him to a mate? Is there a clear better option, or is it going to be different in each case?

Help! I don't even know where to start with this, and it seems like there's so much different information everywhere... I appreciate hearing any advice, or anyone else's experiences with situations like this!

 

[KatherinesBirds]

It's hard to give advice because we don't know exactly what happened. Sometimes no matter how hard we try these little birds just don't make it. I can't tell you that the vet did the right or wrong thing. I am sorry for your loss. Please lock up the cage doors in the future. So sorry.

 

[Mizzely]

I'm very sorry for your loss!

There isn't a clear option...a few hours a day is what a lot of birds get, and they lead full lives. He may even become more tame without his mate. There is no guarantee that if you got him a mate that they would get along, either.

Is your vet very familiar with birds, or certified avian? If not, they may have missed something If you really want to know, you could have a necropsy done; it might give you some answers.

 

[macawpower58]

If you really work that much, I'd say he'll be very lonely without his mate. I'm not sure how quickly lovebirds accept new mates, but IMO getting another little Lovie would be a good idea.

I'd cage the new bird in a separate cage though. Allow them to slowly get to know each other.

Even if they never become bonded, Gus will have company while you're away, instead of sitting all alone.

Hopefully they will bond, but you can never be sure with parrots.

 

[Tangle Elf]

I would wait to see how he reacts. He may just want more time with you. If he starts to seem lonely or stressed, another lovie might be a good idea. You have to keep in mind though, you may end up with two lovies that don't like each other. I'm sorry about the loss of your other lovie. It sounds like it very possibly could have been a reaction to the medications, but it's hard to know for sure. Do you have a cat, dog or other pet that could have caused the eye injury?

 

[Ankou]

Don't blame yourself, even if it was the stress (which there isn't any real way of knowing) what if you chose not to upset her and she died of a bad infection? We really can't know what is the right choice to make and sometimes the ones we do seem harsher in hindsight. I would personally just make sure the cage is secure from now on.
Keep in mind it may not have even been your daughter, depending on the type of cage, that let her out. Parrots of all sizes can be quite clever and I had to use a couple of cheap little locks on the feeder doors in Peanut's old cage. She escaped once, all by herself, but thankfully I was given a chance to make sure it never happened again. I've seen a really cute video online of two lovebirds cooperating to escape too.

It's up to you what you decide to do for Gus. Maybe wait a few days until all your hearts are less sore and see if he seems lonely. I hear it's easier to play "matchmaker" with lovebirds than some other parrots, since it's in their nature to have a mate. (But I wouldn't know from experience, Peanut does not tolerate other birds at all.)
Lovebirds really do better with a friend though. That friend can be a person or another bird, but they are called "lovebirds" because the strong and obvious bonds they develop.

 

[Lovebird Lady]

I agree with Sondra that you should wait to see how he reacts to his new situation. If you see that he is struggling emotionally on his own after a few weeks, I'd consider getting a younger Lovie of the female gender to increase his chances of a good match. Also, does he have a large mirror in his cage? Sometimes this gives an illusion of the company of another bird, and he may coo to the "other bird" in the mirror. You can also place his cage in a room with the television set turned on, while you're away all day, to give him the illusion of company.

 

[Paradox81]

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[birdlady]

Awe I am So sorry for your loss.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Anne & Gang]

so very sorry for your loss

 

[Naiera]

How does Gus respond to you? How is he acting now that his mate is gone? Does he seem to like your company? Does he want to be near you and handled? Or does he seem to prefer a 'birds life'? You know Gus best so ultimately you're the one who will know what's best for him and will make him happiest.

If you get another lovebird, I would assume they won't like each other. I don't mean that the chances of a new lovebird and Gus getting along are small, but it's easier to be prepared for the worst! So how successful would you be at caring for two lovebirds who don't get along? Two cages, twice the toys, twice the perches, twice the time, etc. Or maybe they might get along outside of their cages but not inside. Do you have an area they can safely be out together each day for a significant amount of time? Those are some things I might consider if you're thinking about adding another lovebird.

I would also consider what traits in a new lovebird you feel might set the newbie and Gus up for success. You probably want a lovebird who has successfully been around other lovebirds, but not one who is already in a mated pair. If Gus is a male, I think a male or female lovebird would be fine. You also likely want to match species - so if Gus is a peachfaced lovebird I would search for another peachfaced lovebird.

Not sure that's much help, but I'm really sorry Mona has passed on Glad you're trying to do the best for Gus though - let us know what you decide!

( Also, we love lovebird pictures )

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

My Harley PFLB lived three years without a cage mate after his buddy died of old age. Harley was lonely and I was actively looking for a new friend for him when Harley courted and won the attentions of my white cockatiel hen, Gracie. She and Harley groomed one another and did everything but mate for the two and a half years they had together. Then Gracie died of old age (she was 16) and I started looking again for a mate for Harley. I lucked into a Craig's list ad for a two year old hen and was lucky to get Blu PFLB. I introduced Blu to Harley while she was inside her temporary cage and then I went out to get some millet for them. When I came back, either Blu or Harley had opened the latch to her temporary cage and let her out and the two of them were sitting close to one another on the boing perch. I didn't bother catching them and just let them work out their relationship. When Harley put himself to bed inside his cage, Blu entered his cage and slept holding onto the bars near him. Over the next week they became friends and on the ninth day I noticed him grooming her. She moved into his cage and now they have a nest and four eggs and I risk my life every day making sure she hasn't laid new eggs. I refigerate the eggs to kill any embryos. I do not need a flock of lovebirds...

I am sorry to hear about your loss of Mona. Give the little guy a few weeks and find him a friend; whether or not it is a female or male doesn't matter: he needs company.

 

[barbaradj]

Thank you SO much to everyone for their kind words and advice.


I am looking for some information about the dosing of the meds, actually... I'm wondering if it was too much. Might have been to blame... but, if that wasn't it, unless the vet missed something crucial (and I don't think that's it), I really wonder if it was the stress of the past days.


Gus seems to be doing well, thankfully, although he's clearly not wanting to let us out of his sight. We're looking into a couple of breeders at the moment. One has baby lovebirds ready right away, and another has an adult that they have been looking for a home for, as they're trying to reduce the number of birds they have. We're thinking things over... I'm sure that getting Gus another mate is the only option. Although I spend as much time as possible with him, I worry that it's not enough. It's not fair to him!


So, just a matter of deciding which way to go. Are there any opinions as to whether a baby is best (a trusted source suggested this)? Or an adult? Also, I've been told it's best to introduce them sooner than later. Is that true? My first instinct was to give Gus a bit of time to mourn Mona first. Is a few weeks enough? Or is that unnecessary...


Thanks again to everyone! I really feel better for having your support.

 

[Paradox81]

I think the amount of time will depend on your bird. When my male 'tiel died my female was even meaner then usual, granted they were together for 8 years. They never bred but they were always together cleaning one another and playing. My male passed a couple years ago and we just got another male around 8 week old and so far she seems to like him. At least through the cage she does, they are in two different cages. I will introduce them in a little while once I feel comfortable enough that they wont hurt each other.

 

[barbaradj]

I`m attaching a picture of Gus and Mona, from when we first got them... Gus is the blue one, and Mona, who passed, is the peach-faced.

I`m assuming Gus is the blue variant of the PFLB... I know there are blue variants of the other species of lovebirds, too, though. What do you all think?

 

[Ankou]

If the vet wasn't used to treating birds I really do think it's a distinct possibility the dosage could have been wrong. I'm so sorry, whatever happened.
I don't know anything about meds, but you could post the type and dosage and maybe someone here could tell you if something seemed wrong?

Hopefully someone who is a more successful lovebird matchmaker can chime in but I think it depends a lot on the individual birds. It feels so much like trying to arrange a marriage sometimes and not all birds are going to be compatible with all other birds.

I think there are going to be pros and cons to each, with the adult having an established personality, history, and possibly also a mate that recently passed away or it was separated from. However it will be mature and ready to fill the role of a mate to another bird, should they accept each other, and it may also be looking for a new mate.
A baby will have more of a blank slate and may be more accepting of new flock but is immature and may be frightened or confused by the more sexual advances of an adult (or love the attention. All birds are individuals.)

I just hope little Gus isn't too sad, I'm glad to hear he seems to be doing well.

Edit:
Awww.
Gus doesn't look like a peach faced to me though, he looks to me like an eye-ring species. I'm no expert, but maybe a black masked? Still a blue mutation though, he almost looks violet too, very pretty.

Mona was beautiful too, again I'm so sorry for your loss. Is that the cage they escaped from or are they in a different cage now?

 

[April]

I`m attaching a picture of Gus and Mona, from when we first got them... Gus is the blue one, and Mona, who passed, is the peach-faced.

I`m assuming Gus is the blue variant of the PFLB... I know there are blue variants of the other species of lovebirds, too, though. What do you all think?

I could be wrong,I admittedly don't know much about Lovebirds but I think Gus is a Blue Masked Lovebird.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

The big question I had about the vet was whether the vet was a Certified Avian Vet. Working with and dosing birds is much different from working with the regular dogs and cats most vets are familiar with. I have two CAVs that work with my birds and most regular dog/cat vets in in my area will not work with birds; who are considered an exotic pet. Our emergency vet service here on the West Shore will not do birds and if I have an off hours emergency with one of my birds I have to take them to the York emergency vet service that does have a CAV. Yes, it could be your bird was givin a wrong medication if this vet was not a specialist, but your vet obviously tried to help your bird. I would suggest a different vet, a CAV, for your next bird illness.

It is always a toss up whether to introduce a bird quickly after the death of a mate or wait. Myself, I wait; partly because I cannot face seeing a new bird try and 'replace' the beloved one who died and also in thinking the bird left behind needs time to feel their emotional loss and get used to living without their mate. When I do introduce a new bird, I do it slowly and carefully because some birds do react badly to a new flock member and others do not. My Harley, all my birds, are used to seeing new residents in the flock and he usually does not pay much attention to a new bird: until I brought home Blu and he heard her call out in that distinctive flock call of a female lovebird. He did not waste any time making her acquaintance. And convincing her to have sex!

Baby or adult: which are you interested in? Is the adult hand tame; do you want a hand tame addition to your flock? A baby is usually easier to hand tame than an adult, but it can be done. How much work do you want to put your new bird? Or is the bird only for the bird you already have? Your decision. Hand taming a bird or at least having one you can have step up for putting back in the cage is a big timesaver when you have birds. I can put my birds, all of them, in their cages for the night within fifteen minutes. Just get yourself another, cheap cage for the first few weeks or months of having the new bird and let them negotiate their relationship between cages set close together.

I am so sorry for your loss of Mona. I hope I have answered your questions.

 

[Marc]

I'm sorry for your loss;
you should not blame yourself about the death of your lovie;
You took her to vet and you followed his indications;
Just as Sondra said, these animals are used to live in company rather than alone;
The mood of Gus may become very sad to live alone,since he lived his whole life beside to Mona;
If Gus had been tamed, you would have had the chance to be you his new mate; but I have some doubt that you can replace Mona.
My advise is to buy a new mate for Gus.
Good luck.